Rose Bite
by GlassWingsandIronScythe
Summary: A young woman with features like spun glass is ordered to stay at an enormous stone castle. Just minutes into her arrival she meets a group of inhuman strangers with charming smiles and a thirst for blood. It's up to her to find out why she was sent here, and exactly what is going on behind this strange group's pleasant mask. This is my first published story, so please review! :)
1. Chapter 1

_**Click, clack, click, clack. . .**_

A set of tiny footsteps echo up the winding driveway before pausing, followed by a soft knock on the heavy double doors standing twice as tall as an average man. Several sets of ears perk up, curious about the owner of those rare, foreign steps.

After a long moment of silence, the doors creek open ever so slightly and a large, round teal colored eye peers inside followed by a sweet, soft voice, "Hello? Is there anybody home?"

Another long pause without an answer. Slowly the doors are pushed open and a dainty white-heeled shoe steps inside with a click. A beautiful, petite girl with smooth, perfectly clear porcelain skin blinks her large eyes nervously.

As she takes another small step inside calf-length, teal twintails cascade around her, the silky strands moving like water and brushing the soft fabric of her elegant white dress.

The only hint of color on the beautiful young woman besides her vibrant eyes and hair is the faint rosy pink of her cheeks and lips and the tiny red stone hanging off a thin silver chain around her neck. The girl proceeds slowly through the grand stone castle, glancing around curiously at the decor.

As far as the girl could see dark wood, gray stone, deep crimson, and pale silver were the prefered colors throughout. The girl raises her voice slightly, "I don't mean to intrude. . . my family sent me to live here. Is anyone home?"

A spark of curiosity travels through the castle like fire and the girl's slender fingers tighten unconsciously on her leather traveling bag. A pair of white teeth gleam in the shadows and soft fingertips brush the girl's cheeks as a strong presence forms behind her.

Blinking in surprise, the girl turns her head, her eyes widening further as she catches a glimpse of a handsome man with messy azure hair and matching sharp eyes smiling at her, tilting her chin up slightly, "Well now, how did such a delicate little thing come to stand inside our home?"

Although visibly surprised, the girl manages to maintain her image, "O-oh. Please, do you live here? My name is Hatsune Miku and I was sent to live here in this castle . . ."

"Really? I haven't heard any news of a guest. . . you are quite the pretty one though," he brushes his nose to her neck, taking a deep breath and pressing his lips to her throat softly, "and you smell so sweet."

Miku gasps, the faintest rosy blush brushing her cheeks, "W-what do you mean by that?"

The man twirls her around, releasing one of her hands to bow before her, "Pardon my manners. My name is Shion Kaito, and I am indeed a resident of this castle. I heard nothing of your arrival however, perhaps we could discuss it over tea?"

The girl bites her lip carefully, "That would be quite nice."

The man smiles, taking her by the hand and leading her towards a winding flight of steps. His head, tilted at an angle, prevents Miku from seeing the faint, devious smirk forming on his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Miku blinks and gasps in shock as two more men appear suddenly before her eyes, their unworldly, handsome features closely resembling those of the blue-haired man, Kaito.

The man on the right smirks widely, long scarlet bangs falling into his matching red eyes, while only the ghost of a smile appears on the lips of the purple-haired man. His dark violet eyes gleam as a slender finger trails lazily down the pure white bandages wrapped around his neck, outlining his sharp collarbone.

As Miku struggles to find her words, the men bow and the red-haired man's deep voice drifts over her enchantingly, "I hope we didn't frighten you. I see you have met my brother Kaito. My name is Akaito and this is our other brother Taito."

Taito brushes a finger across her cheek, "Where did you find this little butterfly, brother?"

Kaito narrows his eyes at his brothers, "Don't go touching something that doesn't belong to you. She wandered in here, and I was the one to find her."

Another voice speaks up from the shadows, stepping forward to reveal yet another man with hair the color of fresh ink, scarlet eyes, a long black scarf that appears red under the light, and a bone-white mask hanging off the left side of his head, "You shouldn't be selfish, brother."

Kaito's fingers tighten around Miku's wrist in annoyance, "Hello Kageito. I wasn't expecting you to show up as well."

"Come now Kaito, you should know better by now. All of your beloved brothers are here, curious for your explanation for the doll at your side."

A happy blonde smiles, his golden eyes locked on Miku, "Hello lovely, I am Shion Kikaito. Let me introduce you to my brothers, Mokaito," a cheerful looking man with brown hair and hazel eyes, "Nigaito," a gentle-looking man with green hair and soft emerald eyes, "Baito," a shy man with pure white hair and pale gray eyes, "and Zeito," a man with straight black hair and red-brown eyes grimaces slightly in a sort of irritated greeting.

Miku blinks her round, teal eyes in confusion, "What? You mean to say that all nine of you are brothers?"

Akaito nods, "Here, let me explain. Kaito is the eldest brother, followed by myself, the third brother Taito, fourth brother-"

Kaito waves a slender hand, "You are only going to confuse the poor girl more. Here," he nods at Miku and waves his hand, making a long scroll appear in midair, the names and colors of each brother written carefully in order in a looping, elegant script.

Astounded by Kaito's trick, Miku's eyes carefully scan the scroll:

**- First -**

_Shion Kaito_

**-Second-**

_Shion Akaito_

**- Third -**

_Shion Taito_

**- Fourth -**

_Shion Nigaito_

**- Fifth -**

_Shion Kageito_

**- Sixth -**

_Shion Mokaito_

**- Seventh -**

_Shion Kikaito_

**- Eighth -**

_Shion Zeito_

**- Ninth -**

_Shion Baito_

Miku's eyes widen in awe, "That's incredible! Is this your family's castle then?"

Kikaito shakes his head, "Not quite. There are others living here too, although our family plays a large role in how we do things around here. Collectively, people refer to us as the Shion Brothers. . . ahh, actually, here are two more members of the house right here."

Two pairs of clear blue eyes blink, and a set of blonde twins smirk devilishly. The girl with her hair hanging around her shoulders and bangs pulled back with thick white pins grins, speaking loudly, "Yo! I'm Kagamine Rin, this 'ere is my brother Len, whatcha doing here, little human girl?"

Miku bows her head respectfully, but looks taken aback at her use of the word 'human', "O-oh, well, I came to live here. . ."

Len laughs, shaking his head and causing his short ponytail to loosen, making the thin white ribbon pulling it back go limp, "Really? You, live here? That's funny, I dunno what people are thinkin' nowadays!"

Rin giggles, "You're in for somethin' interesting darling."

Teal strands fall gently as Miku tilts her head, "W-what do you mean by that?"

Kaito shoots a glare at the twins, causing them to retreat to a corner with mad cackles. He tugs gently on Miku's hand, "Don't worry about them. They live for trouble, but if you don't encourage them they generally get bored quickly. Come with me, I'm sure that we can get everything sorted out."

Akaito grins darkly and steps in front of Kaito, "Brother, didn't we tell you to stop being selfish? You ought to share! We so rarely get someone as sweet as this dove."

Miku bites her lip nervously, causing a small drop of blood to form on the corner of her mouth. All eyes lock on Miku and tongues run across lips ravenously. Miku's stomach tightens as she notices the menacing gleam of sharp teeth. She takes a tentative step back, "O-o-oh, I'm terribly sorry, I must have made some sort of mistake-"

"I was hoping that you wouldn't find out about us just yet," Kaito sighs angrily, leaning over to gently press his lips to the spot of blood at the edge of Miku's mouth, making her freeze instinctively, her heart pounding in her chest as a jolt of adrenalin rushes through her veins, making her slender fingers twitch and her bright teal orbs glow, this can't be real. . . this only happens in stories, right?


	3. Chapter 3

The eleven vampires surround Miku slowly and the girl stops moving, her eyes darting back and forth in a desperate attempt to find a way out of this perilous situation. Despite her fear, her steady gaze, straight back, and calm expression throw the creatures off guard.

Who wouldn't be off guard in their position?

A small human girl wanders into a den of strong vampires and acts as though nothing is wrong! Their obvious strength paired with the fact that ten out of eleven of them are male would normally send any sane person running and screaming -and even the insane ones would at least fall to their knees in a babbling mess- but not her, not this porcelain Miku.

Kaito pulls away, frowning in surprise as he tilts his head at her, "Hmm, what's the point in acting calm? You won't be able to get away."

Miku meets his gaze steadily, "Well, I can see that I'm trapped, at least for now, and there's nothing I can do about that. What's the point in panicking about something I can't change yet?"

Akaito's loud laugh echoes around the room, joined in by the cheerful Kikaito. The red-head shakes his head incredulously, "This one's something else."

Kikaito smiles widely, "I think she's going to be a lot of fun to have around."

Miku frowns, "I have a name, it's Miku. Does that mean that I am meant to stay here after all?"

The vampires pause, silently arguing over what to do. After a moment Kaito speaks up, "We certainly aren't going to let you leave here alive. However, if it is true that you were sent to us then we have to inquire about it."

Taito blinks, his endless violet eyes watching Miku unnervingly, "The higher ups might know something about our butterfly. . . " he muses, one finger tugging lightly at the cotton bandages.

Zeito sighs in annoyance, "We're wasting time standing around. Let's get it over with and talk to sensei."

"Sensei?" Miku asks curiously.

Zeito glares at Miku and Baito steps in to offer his quiet explanation, "This castle is ours, but the one behind us has been transformed into a school. There are a few vampires working there, and they should know if what you're saying is true."

Kaito runs a hand through his hair, "We can't very well bring her with us."

Len grins widely, "Rinny and I can watch her Kaito~, she'll be just fine in our care."

Rin nods evilly, "Yeah, Lenny an' I are good sitters, we are."

Kaito shoots a glare at the both of them, "That won't do. No, we'll keep her in one of the guest rooms and Baito can keep watch."

Baito glances down nervously, but he doesn't argue with Kaito. Before Miku can protest, Kaito sweeps her off her feet, carrying her bridal-style up the staircase and down several twisting halls before arriving outside a door and setting her down purposefully, "This is where we will be keeping you for now and, if your residency is permanent, this may very well become your room."

Miku tentatively reaches for the doorknob, cautiously turning it and pushing the door open to reveal a large room. As she steps inside she takes note of the large four-poster iron bed, matching end tables, low coffee table and pair of soft armchairs. The room was light blue and lavender and was actually very lovely.

Miku turns to say something to Kaito and the others only to find the door shut firmly behind her. A small scuffing sound from outside the door tells her that Baito is the only one left.

She sighs, glancing down at her travelling trunk that one of the vampires must have brought up with her, she presses a finger to the tiny red gem around her throat and frowns, _oh mother, just what did I get myself into this time?_


	4. Chapter 4

A knock sounds at the door and the pink haired woman glances up, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and raising an eyebrow, "Who is it?"

A male voice answers back politely, "It is Shion Kaito, Akaito and Taito. We have come with a question for you, sensei."

The woman closes the book in her hand and sighs, removing the thin black frames, "Very well, come in."

The door opens to reveal the three men, all of the same height with devastatingly beautiful features and splashes of blue, red and violet hair. As the eldest, Kaito steps forward first, bowing his head briefly.

Luka waves him away with a hand, frowning, "What is it that the Shion Brothers want to ask of me?"

Kaito's eyes snap to Luka, a serious expression on his face, "Megurine sensei, a woman arrived at the castle not long ago claiming that she was sent to live here by her family, yet neither my brothers nor the Kagamine twins know anything of such a request. By chance, are you aware of such a development?"

Luka smiles slightly, waving her hand at the men, "Ah, yes. I had been told that such a woman would be arriving here. She is to be kept alive, in case you were wondering," she shoots all three of them a warning look.

Akaito appears slightly disappointed, but Kaito quickly responds before his brother can have the chance to complain, "What is a human girl going to do in a den?"

Long pink hair swishes as Luka stands, appearing nonchalant, "I'm not sure. All I know is that she is to live with us, attend the school, and be kept alive. Of course, the condition 'alive' does not necessarily need to meet the condition of 'full of blood', so as long as you are careful there shouldn't be any problems with a light snack every now and then."

Akaito brightens slightly at his sensei's permission to drink from Miku, but Kaito shoots him a dark look before turning back to Luka, "We understand. Thank you for the information, Megurine sensei."

Luka nods, "Go ahead and leave. I don't imagine you should be leaving the woman alone for long with those twins around."

The three brothers bow once before leaving the room, shutting the door behind them with a click.

Once their footsteps fade away Luka turns, sweeping her glasses from her face and crossing her arms. Her blue eyes, framed by thick lashes, wander out the window at the moon. Her hand clenches around her glasses and her pink lips turn down slowly to form an unseen frown.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone!**

**I realized that I haven't added any author's notes in yet and, since this is a long chapter, I thought this would be a good opportunity.**

**First of all, thank you so much to everyone who has read or reviewed my story so far, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to do that!**

**Also, I wanted to say that so far, I have a couple of other chapters of this story hidden away for now, but the characters I have set up to be potentially paired with Miku so far are Kaito, Baito, and possibly Piko. If anyone has any pairings that they would like to see let me know and I will consider adding them to the story :).**

**To be honest, the fact that I'm still a little unsure about where this is heading is the main reason why I have the rating I do. In case any character go a little crazy or I end up adding a bit of violence I don't want anyone too caught off guard by it. However, I will say that I am not going to have any lemon or smut for this fanfic, so keep that in mind.**

**Bye for now, ~Glasswings**

* * *

Miku slips out of her shoes, placing them neatly beside one of the chairs, her bare feet padding softly over to the large bed. Gingerly, she pulls up her skirts and sinks into the mattress. Her hands smooth out the lavender cloth as she gazes around the room.

A pale moonlight begins to peek through the lavender drapes, but in all of the excitement Miku doesn't feel tired. She can't help but glance back at her door, wondering what Baito could be doing all alone out there a.

With all of her thinking, she still hasn't decided what to think about these people- the vampires, _in one moment they seem sweet and polite, but in the very next they are ravenous and demanding, acting as though I am nothing more than a container for their favorite food._

_How am I supposed to take this anyway? I thought that vampires were nothing more than legends told to con fearful nobles and small villages out of their money. . .it's all a political scam really, at least, that's what my tutor taught me. . ._

Pale fingers clutch the sheets as she leans back, letting her teal twintails spill out around her as she gazes up at the ceiling. Miku doesn't have to think long however, before her door opens.

With a start Miku pushes herself up, looking wide-eyed at the vampires crowding into the doorway. Kaito steps forward, shooting the others warning looks.

Although his brothers and the Kagamines look displeased, they quickly disperse, leaving Kaito alone to shut the door behind him and drift towards the girl on the bed.

Miku tries to meet his deep blue gaze, "Kaito-San, did you find out what is going on?"

Kaito doesn't quite look her in the eyes, his gaze locked onto something else, "Yes. It appears that you are to live here, with us, and attend the school. I'm not yet entirely certain as to why, but that hardly matters now."

"What? Why not?"

"Because, your blood smells so sweet! A gentle, calming aroma with some sort of musty or woody undertones- like a rose! It's calling out to me."

Miku's eyes widen, "W-what? N-no, stay away!"

Kaito ignores her, catching her wrists in his firm grip and pressing her back against the bed, leaning on top of her as he tilts his head, bringing his mouth down and touching his tongue to her throat.

Miku attempts to struggle, but his grasp combined with his weight on her is too much for her to move and her eyes squeeze sharply shut as Kaito's fangs slide into her creamy skin.

She winces with the pain as he draws her blood into his mouth, but after a moment she relaxes, _there's really nothing else I can do against his strength at the moment_, and the pain recedes slightly. Kaito's own eyes widen slightly as he pulls his fangs from her flesh, pressing his lips to her skin once and muttering to himself, "So delicious. . ."

Miku's eyes open as he pushes himself off, looking down at her sternly, "Don't resist so much. This is my right. Never forget, I was the one who found you, so your first loyalties are towards me. I have no use for disobedience, and if you fail to follow me I will kill you."

The teal-haired girl looks stunned at his sudden change in character. She had thought that he at least, was kinder and less aggressive than his brothers, but perhaps she had misread him after all.

Unable to say anything in response, the blue-haired man leaves without looking back, withdrawing from her and leaving her feeling even more alone and confused in this enormous, cold stone castle.

* * *

The faint rays of early morning sunlight peer through the curtains to light Miku's face. Slowly, her eyes flicker open and a small smile decorates her lips as she pushes herself up to admire the sun.

In a flash, all of last night's memories flood her brain and she bites her lip nervously. Clenching her hands determinedly, she shakes the worry from her thoughts, _no! There __**has to be**__ a reason why I'm here. . . even theses aggressive vampires must have shown up with a purpose._

_Why should I satisfy their image of a glass doll? What good is that doing? No, it's better to face the day with determination, that's the only way to keep moving forward in situations like this!_

With that stubborn thought, Miku rises from her bed, paying no mind as the edges of the wispy pink gown draping her frame trail along the ground. She pauses in front of a gilded mirror to frown at her mussed hair, when her eyes lock on to a pair of calm, crimson hues.

Miku spins around, not in fright, but in irritation, "Oh! Please, can't I have a moment to myself this morning?"

Akaito's grin widens hugely in surprised amusement, "Hmph! Well, that's a bit rude don't you think, little dove?

Miku raises a delicate teal eyebrow, "Pardon me, but aren't you the one who came into a lady's bedroom in the morning without so much as a knock?"

The redhead rises, stretching his arms over his head and ruffling his hair, "You were so much more tentative yesterday! What happened to make you change so suddenly, strange little Miku-dove?"

With a swish of her nearly ankle-length teal hair, Miku tilts her head, "A woman can't afford to be overly gentle around aggressive men like you."

Akaito lets out a deep laugh, "All too true, but dove, didn't you know? It's more fun when you resist!"

In a flash of movement the fiery man has an iron grip on Miku's arms, leaning in swiftly to press his sharp fangs into her soft skin. Miku bites back a gasp as she feels the painful draw for the second time in twenty-four hours.

After a moment, Akaito pulls away, licking his lips curiously, ". . . you're much. . . sweeter, than I expected, dove."

Miku presses a finger to her neck daintily, looking up to meet his vermilion eyes with sharp teal ones, "I have a name, Akaito-San, and it certainly isn't 'dove'."

Akaito laughs again, shaking his head and heading for the window with a jaunty wave, "Little dove, around here you won't just get called by your name off the bat, you have to earn it first," with a darkly amused smile, he flings open the wide windows and casually jumps from the edge.

Despite herself, Miku's feet rush her to the windows, her slender hands gripping the edge of the sill as she peers down at the neatly manicured lawn. To her surprise, the fiery man is already moving away in lithe strides, like a big cat, clearly unconcerned with his little two-story drop.

Miku blinks, then frowns at herself, _he appears to be perfectly fine. . . and just a moment, weren't vampires supposed to burn in the sun?_

Narrowing her teal eyes suspiciously, she sighs softly, _I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Just yesterday I didn't even know vampires existed. . . I shouldn't be assuming anything about their powers. I wonder though, if they have any weaknesses?_

With a calculative spark flashing in her large eyes, she turns from the windows, quickly crossing the room to snatch up a large brush, dragging it carefully through her long hair and dropping it back on the dresser to rummage in her travelling bag for a clean dress.

Not a moment into her search however, a round-faced maid knocks at her door before pushing it open tentatively, "Miss? Pardon me, I was told to bring you your school uniform."

Miku rises from her bag to eye the neatly folded bundle, "Why is that?"

The maid blinks once, "Master Kaito informed me that you are to attend school starting today."

"What?! So early?"

"Yes, miss," the maid pushes the bundle into Miku's arms, "it is the first day of school for the year, it wouldn't do for you to be absent, even with your late arrival."

Miku frowns slightly, "Oh, of course, thank you."

The maid bows respectfully and pulls the door closed, but Miku is already distracted, glancing out her windows towards the large, sprawling stone building resting on the wide, green lawn.

Moving behind a folding curtain to change, Miku bites her lip again, _I wonder what sort of place that school is? What do they learn there?_

As she smooths out the red corseted bodice trimmed with black lace and ending in a skirt a few inches above her knees. Fingers absently pull on the black thigh-high socks. Her feet tuck themselves into ankle-length black leather boots lacing up at the front, she tugs gently at the sleeves brushing her wrists.

Miku moves to glance at her reflection in the mirror, well, I suppose it looks alright at least.

She smiles once at her reflection, snatching a few tiny black hair clips from her bag to pin her hair in an elegant, messily waving ponytail. The loose curls brush her waist, her bangs framing her face softly as she spins on her heel, pulling open her door and bounding down the hall, somewhat cheered by the prospect of learning beside peers.

_I've never actually been to school before! As the only daughter of a well-off family, I was always brought tutors, so I never really got the chance to learn around people my age. . . i hope this will be a good experience!_

A bright, hopeful smile lights Miku's features as she makes her way down the maze of halls, her heart skipping happily, _see? Maybe this won't be so bad after all! _


	6. Chapter 6

As Miku makes her way down the hall, she doesn't notice the timid figure trailing her until she was already a ways away from her starting point. With a surprised blink, she glances behind her, catching the glimpse of a white-haired man and turning around abruptly.

She stands there for a moment, fingers playing with the hem of her dress as she tilts her head curiously, giving the ghost-like man a tiny smile, "Hello Baito-San."

Baito blinks in surprise at the friendly gesture. Somewhat flustered, he twirls a piece of colorless hair around a finger, his eyes on the floor as he mumbles softly, "Erm, h-hello, Miku-Chan. . . "

Miku's smile widens slightly, "I'm a bit hungry this morning, do you think you might show me where I can find something for breakfast?"

Baito eyes Miku nervously, "B-breakfast?"

Miku nods, "Yes, if you don't mind. . ."

Pale gray eyes stray to Miku's porcelain neck, "Oh. . . right. . ."

The teal-haired girl frowns slightly, the meaning behind Baito's distracted gaze dawning on her as she fails to catch his eyes, "Baito-San . . .a-are you hungry?"

His eyes snap up to her face with an earnest nod, "A-actually I'm really very hungry, Miku-Chan. . . "

Miku exhales softly, torn between the desire to help the sweet, quiet boy and the need to avoid the frightening, painful sensation of having her blood drawn.

A thought occurs to Miku, _so far, Baito-San is the only one who hasn't forcibly taken my blood. . . I have no intention of becoming a blood bank. . . but looking at him, maybe I can offer it, just this once._

Biting her lip gently, Miku blinks, her voice low as she watches him, "Um . . . I don't want to become a food source. . .but, if you're really that hungry, I suppose I could let you have a little bit of my blood- just this once. . ."

Baito's eyes widen hugely, having never been actually offered blood before, "R-really?"

Miku nods carefully, unconsciously brushing a teal lock away from her neck. Baito nods, approaching her slowly and resting his hands softly on top of her shoulders. He leans in, his white hair brushing across her skin as his thin fangs pierce her neck.

To her surprise, Miku doesn't feel the same painful draw as she did with Akaito and Kaito. This time, the sharp drawing sensation fades to a dull tug, hardly anything to complain about.

Miku blinks in surprise, _I wonder if this is the difference it makes to offer blood. . . if it's like this, maybe it won't be so horrible to offer every once in a while. . ._

In a split second it is over and Baito backs away, his eyes finally able to meet Miku's instead of boring into the floor. He nods once in a sort of thanks, grabbing Miku's red sleeve and hurrying down the hall.

Miku watches his hair fall as he quickens his movements, "Baito-San, where are we going?"

His soft voice drifts back over his shoulder, "Breakfast for you, Miku-Chan."

With a start, Miku realizes that Baito is the only vampire so far who actually calls her by her name. This small gesture brings an appreciative smile to Miku's lips as she matches her steps to Baito's longer strides, _maybe he's an exception. . . but either way, I guess that not all vampires are as harsh as those two. . . I think, just maybe, I can survive this year after all._

With this hopeful thought, Miku hurries after Baito towards the dining hall.

After a light meal, Miku rushes after Baito across the giant, almost too-green lawn towards the school building. Between trying not to trip in her new shoes, Miku glances at Baito curiously, "Thank you for taking me to school this morning."

Baito nods briefly, "It's okay. . . we- I attend this school too. . . "

Teal eyes widen slightly, "Oh, I see. So is this a vampire school?"

Baito doesn't respond, seemingly having used up his energy for conversation as he pauses outside a pair of large double doors.

Miku admires the ivy climbing carefully up the walls of the entrance as Baito pushes the doors open, tugging her gently down a long hallway with one side opening out into some sort of courtyard.

Baito stops again at the end of the hall, blinking at her with serious gray eyes and pointing first toward the left, then gesturing towards himself, before pointing firmly towards the right fork.

Miku blinks, then nods in understanding, "Oh, are vampires in the left wing and other students in the right?"

Baito nods, dropping her sleeve and casting her one last curious glance before rushing off towards the right. Miku watches him leave, _for someone who acts like a ghost or a shadow, he moves so quickly!_

With a nervous frown, Miku turns to the left and begins taking tentative steps down the hall, _I don't see anyone else around. . . come to think of it I haven't seen those Kagamine twins or any of the other Shion brothers either. . . I hope I'm not late!_


	7. Chapter 7

As Miku hurries down the hall, large gold-framed portraits of strangers lining the walls -_of which I can only assume is the main hallway in this wing_- she frowns slightly, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously at the general lack of students.

Turning a corner sharply, the teal-haired girl runs into something solid. With a gasp she steadies herself and quickly steps away into a short bow, causing silky strands to fall into her eyes, "P-pardon me!"

A calm, airy voice laughs slightly, "Please, don't worry about it."

Miku looks up with a tentative smile, large eyes locking onto a pair of mismatched ones. Blinking in surprise, she blurts out, "Oh! You have such nice eyes!"

Furrowing his brow in a sort of amused confusion, the silvery white-haired boy smiles, "Oh, thank you. . . I haven't seen you around here before, are you new?"

Miku nods her head quickly, "Yes. I just arrived yesterday actually, and to be honest I don't really know what I'm doing or where I'm going. Baito-San just sort of-"

The boy's eyes widen and he takes a quick jump back, his hand reaching inside his long black coat. He frowns angrily, "Baito-San?! What are you doing here? Vampires aren't allowed in this wing! If you don't leave now-!"

Slender hands wave in front of her quickly as she shakes her head, upset by this man's sudden change in attitude, "N-no! Please don't misunderstand, I'm not a vampire!"

"Give me a break! If you're not a vampire then explain how you could possibly be involved with Baito!" one green and one blue eye narrows, "Now that I look at you, your skin does look a bit pale-"

"Please don't get angry with me! I don't really know Baito-San that well, but he's been nice to me since I came to their castle last night. I'm not a vampire, really I'm not! I-I just happen to be living there, that's all."

The boy frowns, "Why would you be living in the vampires' castle unless you're one of them?"

"I don't know. Honestly I don't! M-my family sent me to live with them, and so . . ."

He scrutinizes her, then relaxes, pulling his hand out of his jacket and ruffling his hair sheepishly, "Alright, I believe you. . . sorry about that."

Miku's eyes widen, "W-what? Why did you change your mind?"

"Because," he smiles brightly, "you're not a very good liar."

A faint smile forms on Miku's lips, her rapid heartbeat slowing slightly in relief, "I'm not entirely sure how to take that."

The boy laughs, "Just take it as a compliment. Besides, if you were any good at lying I might have attacked you. I really am sorry about that, but you can never be too careful around here. . . "

Miku bites her lip and takes in the boy's black-and-red uniform, "It's okay, but it's my first day at school so I really don't want to start off on the wrong foot. Can we start over?"

The boy blinks at her outstretched hand and smiles, "Sure! My name is Utatane Piko, nice to meet you miss. . . ?"

A smile forms on Miku's lips, "Hatsune. Hatsune Miku."

Piko shakes her hand, "Okay then Hatsune-San!"

Miku shakes her head, "Sorry, but Hatsune-San sounds too formal! I'd much rather you call me Miku-San instead!"

Piko laughs, "Alright then, Miku-San. You're strange, but that's not a bad thing. So, what class are you in?"

"C-class?" Miku fidgets, "I don't know. . . no one told me anything about that."

A thoughtful look, "Well, how old are you? What year are you in?"

"I've just recently turned sixteen years old, and I was tutored so I don't have a year. . . oh! but I knew a girl who was my age and in year two!"

Piko nods, "That sounds right. Well, luckily for you I happen to be a year two student! As big as this castle may seem, there actually aren't very many students."

Miku looks at him curiously as they begin to move down the hall, "Really? It seems very nice though."

"It is, and the education is wonderful, but you see, it's so rare for people to even know about all of this that it's sort of uncommon for families to send their children here. Most of the time you have to be born into a hunter family to want to attend."

"A. . . hunter family? What does that mean?"

Piko gapes at her, "What? Wait a moment, you know about vampires but not about hunters?!"

Miku ducks her head in embarrassment, "N-no. I was born in a small noble family without much of a name. I didn't even realize that vampires truly existed until last night."

"Are you serious?! Well then, that explains a lot," he shrugs, "It's a little bit complicated to explain, but hunters are sort of like the opposing force to vampires. . .you've at least heard stories about vampires, right?"

"I've heard some of the more common ones, yes."

"Well, vampires are depicted as clever, immortal creatures with a love for human blood. This is true of real vampires, except things end up worse for the humans in real life than in the stories. For a long time they would go on rampages, destroying entire villages without anyone to stop them. That's why hunters were created, to fight and destroy the vampires."

Miku looks upset, an image of Baito's face flashing in front of her eyes, "Y-you kill the vampires?"

Piko sighs, "Well, we were able to come to a truce fifteen years ago, and since then they're mostly left us alone. Now we only kill the ones that stray from the law. Year one teaches you a lot about the importance of differentiating between those who've strayed and those who haven't. . . you'll probably have to take a remedial class to get caught up."

Miku raises an eyebrow, "O-oh. . . why wasn't I just put into year one then?"

"Because, " Piko pauses outside a door, "you get onto a year based on your age and that's where you have to stay, no exceptions and no repeated years."

"What happens if someone fails a year?"

Piko's eyes sharpen, "You don't. You either pass or are expelled."

As he pushes the door open, Miku plays with the edges of her skirt nervously, t_hese stakes. . . why on earth was I put into something like this? What if_-

Miku's thoughts are cut off as Piko grabs her by the wrist and pulls her into the room, "Hurry, the teacher hasn't arrived yet!"

Piko drags Miku towards a desk on the far side of the room, quickly pushing her into a chair just as a tall man with a long, high purple ponytail walks into the room. He stops in front of the class, his hands in the pockets of his black suit.

The students rise from their desks and bow, "Good morning, sensei!"

Miku follows their actions quickly but slightly behind the others. The teacher waves his hand and the students take their seats, "I know quite a few of you from your first year, but there are some new faces as well. Make sure you get acquainted with everyone, we can't have you running around mistaking each other for vampires now can we?"

Miku swears that his purple eyes look at her before he turns to the board, picking up a piece of chalk and carefully writing something on the board. As he writes, Miku glances around in surprise, _this class seems a bit small . . ._

In total there were only thirteen students in the class, seated two and three to a table, at large wooden desks in rows, with each row moving up a step like an opera house. Each student dons the school uniform, which bares the tiny image of a thorned rose above the heart.

Miku snaps back to attention as she watches the teacher, who introduces himself as Kamui-sensei, watching with interest as he passes out the course books. When the small leather-bound book lands on her desk, Miku picks it up immediately, surprised to find that there was nothing on the cover save for a depiction of a sword superimposed over a red rose. The book has no title or author.

Kamui-sensei nods at the books, "These books will become one of the most important items you will ever own, so don't even think about losing them!"

The class erupts into a low buzz and Piko stares at his book in awe, whispering, "No way. . . the Book of Thorns!"

Miku looks back down at her book, brushing a finger along the spine, "Book . . .of Thorns?"

Kamui-sensei claps his hands and the class falls silent once again, "The first chapter contains all of the laws laid out in our peace treaty with the vampires. For the first couple of weeks your homework will be to memorize every law, word for word!"

There is a collective groan from the class that makes Kamui-sensei narrow his eyes, "What are you complaining for? Would you prefer to break the laws and be executed? No? Well then, go ahead and memorize the first one. I will call on you to recite it tomorrow's class."

One student, a girl with short green hair with a pair of black goggles perched on her head, raises her hand, "Um. . . Kamui-sensei, why can't I open my book past the first chapter?"

Miku looks down in surprise, moving her fingers to a spot in the middle of the book and pulling, but the pages refuse to budge, _what is this? How are we supposed to use a book we can't read past the first chapter?_

Kamui-sensei smiles, "The rest of the book details weaknesses in vampires and how to defeat them. We can't let just anyone open those books. Don't worry though, in two weeks we will hold the hunter's ceremony. After that, if you are officially accepted as a hunter-in-training, you will be able to access those pages."

The class bursts to life. "What? A ceremony so soon?!"

"I heard that it's more like an exam than a ceremony! My cousin went through it and she said that-"

"Huh?! How are we supposed to take an exam without knowing what we're going to be tested on?"

"Some of us are new here!"

"Are the teachers trying to _kill_ us?!"

The sound of a sword unsheathing echos around the room and the students fall silent, looking wide-eyed at the teacher, who is pointing his sword threateningly at the class, "Hey! What is all this complaining about?! I thought you were here to become hunters but it turns out you just want to sit back and do nothing. I won't have any cowards in my class!"

Piko raises his hand bravely, "H-however, Kamui-sensei, how are we supposed to take an exam on something we know nothing about?"

Kamui-sensei narrows his eyes at Piko, then turns to glare at the rest of the class, "Come now, if you want to be hunters you have to learn to figure some things out on your own. Do you really think we would give you a test without teaching you the material? Save for these next two weeks of lessons on the laws, everything else you need to know was pounded into your skulls when you first arrived here!"

"Tch!" Kamui-sensei sheaths his sword, "Use those brains I've been told you posses! If you're that worried then do something about it! Between first year materials and the library you have more then enough to take the exam. I refuse to hear any more questions or complaints about this! If you need to know it, you will. Class dismissed!"

Kamui-sensei stalks off, pressing his hand to a spot on the wall. A faint red light pours through some of the bricks, opening a narrow doorway into which Kamui-sensei promptly disappears, taking the door with him.

The class stares after him in indignant shock, quickly gathering around the first two far tables in furious debate. Miku's head is spinning, what is this? How can they give such an exam if there are students who weren't here that first year? I don't know anything about hunters or vampires! How can I possibly do this?

The girl with the goggles slams her fist on the desk, crossing her arms and glaring angrily at the place where Kamui-sensei disappeared, "What the hell! He could have at least explained a little more considering how if you don't pass the ceremony you are automatically expelled!"

"W-w-what?!" the rest of the class shouts in horror.

Piko furrows his brows, looking back at the girl, "Gumi, Is that really true?"

Gumi nods and Miku feels her heart sink, _it's only my first day and it already looks like I might fail out of school!_

Piko turns back to Miku, ". . . this is bad. Hey, come with me after school and I'll show you the library, at least there you can check out the first year texts."

Miku looks up at him uncertainly, "Will I really be able to learn all that I need to in time for the exam?"

The silver-white haired boy shrugs, "I don't know the answer to that, but if you're worried about it then you just have to study harder! There's no way I'm going to lose to something this early on!"

Miku raises her teal head slightly, shaking herself, her mouth forms a determined line, _Piko-San is right! What am I thinking? It doesn't matter how strange or new this is, I had to have been put into this situation for a reason, so I can't possibly let myself fail until I learn exactly why I'm here in the first place!_

Gumi glances over at Miku curiously, "Hey, you're new here aren't you?"

Miku looks over at her in surprise, "O-oh. Yes, my name is Hatsune Miku. . . I'm very new to all of this. . . how could you tell?"

Gumi smiles, "Even if I wasn't here last year I would have been able to tell by the expression on your face." The teal-haired girl's eyes widen in surprise, "Wow. First Piko-San could tell I'm lying and now you can tell that I'm new here. . . am I that easy to read?"

Gumi laughs, "You're not an open book, but learning to read people is part of being a hunter. It's a really important school that all first years learn. Don't worry, you can learn it even if you don't have a natural talent for that sort of thing."

Miku nods, "T-that's good. It looks like I have a lot to learn!" her voice and eyes lower slightly in worry, "I hope that the others leave me alone to study. . . "

Gumi raises an eyebrow, "Others?"

Piko drifts back into the conversation with a curt nod, "Miku-San lives in the big castle."

"Eh?! You live with the vampires?!"

Miku's startled gaze snaps back to Gumi, "W-well, I do b-b-ut-"

"That's so amazing!" Gumi's eyes sparkle with excitement, "I can't believe it! You get to actually live with them, be around them for hours a day?!"

"I-I just arrived last night and they seem fairly solitary, so I wouldn't really say that," Miku trails off.

Piko nods at Gumi, "Come on, you're overwhelming her!" he turns to Miku, "Don't worry too much about her. Gumi is a bit strange. She loves to study the vampires, and she's definitely overly-fascinated-"

Gumi glares at Piko, "Hey, hey, hey! Don't make me sound like some kind of weirdo! It just so happens that I find their behavior to be extremely interesting and-"

He shakes his head, "You don't have to worry about me making you sound like a weirdo, you do a pretty good job of that yourself!"

"Why you little-!"

Miku laughs, a high sparkling sound that makes Gumi and Piko pause. Gumi's stops hitting Piko and smiles, "What are you laughing for?"

"Nothing, really. It's just that you two are really funny! It sort of reminds me of siblings."

Piko smiles, "Well, I'm glad I'm not really related to a strange girl like her."

Gumi happily pokes Piko in the face, "And I'm happy that I don't have to deal with a dolt like him twenty-four-seven! Although I am stuck with a couple of brothers. Do you have any siblings?"

Miku shakes her head, "No. am my parents' only child."

Gumi frowns slightly, "Doesn't it ever get lonely?"

Miku smiles softly, "Well, maybe a little bit. . . but, I grew up doing a lot of things by myself, so I'm used to it now."

Gumi's gaze softens and her face breaks into another bright grin, "Well then, that's that! Piko and I are going to be your siblings!"

Miku's round eyes widen, "W-what?"

Piko smiles, "Yeah! We can get into fights, but no matter what we're stuck with each other!"

". . . you guys. . . " Miku smiles with a happy glow, "Thank you."

Gumi smirks, "Eh? Don't be thanking us too much, now you can never escape us!"

Miku laughs, "Okay!"


End file.
